Writing Powerful PowerPoint Presentations Fast

10 minutes read

@ tutsplus.com

Presentation outlines are like roadmaps for your presentation. Learn how to make a PowerPoint outline for a presentation with the help of this tutorial and save time.

Importance of Writing a PowerPoint Presentation Outline

You might think that learning how to write a presentation outline is an extra step. However, writing a presentation outline takes time, but it ultimately saves you time in later steps.

It’s crucial to view writing a presentation outline as a beneficial process rather than extra work. Investing time in creating a PowerPoint outline helps you avoid rewriting and reworking your presentation.

When I began my journey as a presenter, I made numerous mistakes while writing presentations. I would open PowerPoint, spend too much time on choosing a theme, and then begin drafting content, often jumping back and forth between slides.

This approach resulted in an unfocused presentation, revealing a scatterbrained method in my content writing. Once I started using outlines, my presentations felt more cohesive, and each point naturally fell into place.

Don’t think that a PowerPoint presentation outline will be discarded after your presentation is complete. With a bit of creativity, PowerPoint outlines can serve multiple purposes:

Use an outline as a slide of its own to provide your audience with a sneak peek of the presentation’s structure.
Send your outline as a pre-read containing essential details to build anticipation for your presentation.
Print your outline and keep it handy to help you stay on topic while presenting.

Consider writing a presentation as a series of steps. Crafting a presentation outline is the first step that saves time on all subsequent steps. Learn how to do a presentation outline and more in our tutorial below:

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How to Make & Give Great PowerPoint Presentations (In 5 Simple Steps)

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Now, let’s explore our tutorial on PowerPoint presentation outlines.

Steps to Write a PowerPoint Presentation Outline

Once you’ve committed to writing a PowerPoint presentation outline, you may wonder about the process. Let’s uncover the keys to writing an effective presentation outline, and then learn how to incorporate it into your PowerPoint.

The PowerPoint screenshots in this section use a template called Brusher from Envato Elements.

![Brusher PowerPoint Template]

Now let’s explore how to create PowerPoint outlines:

1. Close PowerPoint (If It’s Already Open)

If PowerPoint is currently open, close the application! If it isn’t open, resist the urge to launch it just yet.

The most critical aspect of writing a PowerPoint presentation outline is temporarily stepping away from the application. This approach helps you avoid wasted time redoing parts of your presentation.

You might be surprised at how much focus a presentation outline brings to your outlining process.

2. Set a Presentation Goal

Every presentation should have a unified goal. A PowerPoint presentation consists of slides with supporting points that all relate back to that goal.

Establishing this goal is the first step in writing your PowerPoint outline. Additionally, consider the type of presentation you are giving. I categorize presentation purposes into three key types, each requiring a tailored approach:

To educate the audience on specific ideas and topics.
To update colleagues on the latest status of a project or event.
To persuade the audience to embrace your idea or position.

Before you begin filling in the presentation outline, ensure you’ve established this singular goal. Failing to do so may lead to a presentation that diverges into unrelated topics.

In summary, your first outline step is to write your presentation’s goal. This goal serves as a guiding metric as you add more content. Each time you add a new slide or point, ask yourself, “Does this content support my presentation’s goal?”

3. Add Headers for Key Sections

With your presentation’s “north star” established, you can now outline the critical sections that support your goal. Each section should present a new angle while still reinforcing the central goal.

Aim for three or four main sections for your presentation. Each of these sections can contain multiple PowerPoint slides.

This is often referred to as the “body” of the presentation, containing the essential content necessary to drive your key point home. Fill in your goals as shown in the presentation outline example below:

Let’s walk through an example. If my goal is to inspire my audience to learn Power Query, I might include three key sections that support that goal:

What is Power Query? It’s important not to assume your audience knows what it is.
Why use Power Query? In this section, illustrate the benefits to inspire action.
How to learn Power Query. After demonstrating its power, provide the audience with resources to take the next step.

No two presentations are identical, and how you support your points will vary based on your goal. Remember: You’re the presenter; it’s your story to share.

Now, start detailing each supporting section. Write several supporting sentences for each key section to create specific points that underlie your ideas. Use these support points to craft individual slides.

Here’s a screenshot of a sample presentation outline in progress:

Important note: Crafting a presentation outline does not require writing all the content that will eventually go into the presentation. These points are guideposts, not the final content itself.

4. Write the Supporting Points

“You can’t boil the entire ocean… The best way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time… Divide and conquer the task at hand…”

All these phrases convey the same idea: the best approach to tackling a project is to break it down into manageable parts. Writing a presentation outline first is the optimal method to simplify the project into easily conquerable tasks.

5. Open PowerPoint and Add Your Outline

Once you have finalized your PowerPoint presentation outline, it’s time to return to the app. You’ve laid a solid foundation for writing your presentation swiftly, and now it’s time to integrate it into PowerPoint.

You can approach this task in various ways. Personally, I paste my entire outline on the first slide. Then, I begin breaking it down, pasting sections and supporting points onto their respective slides. I use this outline slide to organize my presentation effectively.

Next, transfer those sections to their own slides. By using Outline view in PowerPoint or another tool, you can gradually separate your outline into distinct sections. Instead of typing each point individually, paste them onto new slides.

You aren’t required to stick strictly to the text you initially wrote. Instead, use the pasted sections as inspiration for your content. This ensures that your presentation remains true to the original outline and on topic!

PowerPoint even has a useful feature that focuses on outlines within the app. Learn more about Outline view in PowerPoint in the tutorial below:

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While it may seem unusual that we saved this step for last, this method helps maintain focus. Rather than jumping around in PowerPoint while writing a presentation outline, consider using a separate tool.

Additional Presentation Writing Tips

Before you write your presentation outline, consider the following tips:

1. One Idea Per Slide

Your slides should focus on your main points. Too much text can overwhelm and distract your audience. It’s generally recommended to limit slides to six to eight lines of text and no more than 30 words. The 1-6-6 rule suggests having no more than six words per line and six bullet points per slide.

2. Simplified Sentences

Instead of using complete sentences, reduce text with simplified statements. For example, instead of saying:

“When you study before a test, you will remember the material, raise your grade and be knowledgeable about the subject.”

You can summarize it as follows:

Benefits of Studying

Remember Material
Raise Your Grade
Knowledge

This simplification makes it easier to adhere to text-minimization rules for slides.

3. Use Engaging Visuals

Visuals can captivate your audience, especially eye-catching ones. Quality images can add an emotional aspect to your presentation. However, low-quality or irrelevant visuals can be distracting. It’s essential to choose your images thoughtfully.

4. Keep Your Audience in Mind

Consider your audience while writing your outline. Understand their familiarity with the subject. Are you addressing professionals with expertise or students who are new to the topic?

Tailor your content and humor to avoid offending or alienating your audience.

5. Avoid Reading from Your Slides

Resist the temptation to read directly from your slides. This common mistake can bore your audience, who can read the slides themselves. Aim to provide new information rather than repeating what’s on the slide. Use the speaker notes tool in PowerPoint for your notes instead.

Discover Unlimited PowerPoint Presentation Templates

Before diving into your writing, consider using presentation templates. PowerPoint templates streamline the design process, allowing you to focus on content.

On Envato Elements, you can access unlimited PowerPoint templates for a flat subscription fee. This includes many with built-in PowerPoint outline templates. Explore PowerPoint Templates{.call-to-action-btn .call-to-action-btn-primary}

With unlimited access to templates, you’ll also find stock photos, graphics, illustrations, and more!

Additional PowerPoint Resources

Learning to write a presentation outline is just one of many skills you need to build confidence as a presenter. Your journey in mastering PowerPoint is a series of building blocks, each contributing to a solid foundation.

Check out our top-rated learning resource, How to Use PowerPoint (Ultimate Tutorial Guide). It’s a comprehensive resource filled with the best learning materials to help you master PowerPoint.

You’ve already learned how to craft an outline for a presentation. Keep your learning momentum with these excellent tutorials:

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Start Writing Your PowerPoint Presentation Outline Today

Now you know how to create a PowerPoint outline for your presentation. Writing a PowerPoint outline is a reliable way to save time and improve the quality of your presentation. It brings focus and consistency to your content.

Every presentation is unique, and consequently, every PowerPoint outline will vary. This guide provides general guidelines to assist you, but remember to have confidence in your subject knowledge.

Before embarking on your presentation writing, remember that starting with an outline is the best way forward. Set a goal, outline key sections, and fill in supporting details. Then, quickly build your slides with the content.

Don’t forget! PowerPoint presentation templates from Envato Elements are excellent time-savers too! Use them alongside your outline to write presentations efficiently.

Editorial Note: This post was originally published in February of 2020 and has been updated for accuracy with help from Sarah Joy.

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